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"She’s already atteh"

"Good"

She set down the receiver and turned to Pastor Fleone into labor"

"So I understand"

"I’ll collect eant but there was nothing she could do about it

Returning to the pew, she explained to Cliff as happening Maryellen twisted around and Grace told her, too

"She doesn’t have anything for the baby, does she?" Maryellen asked

Grace hadn’t even thought of that She had blankets and a few other supplies for her grandchildren, but the disposable diapers would be far too big

"Jon and I will stop by the house and get sos for Mary Jo and the baby and drop thee of newborn-size diapers, too"

Grace touched her daughter’s shoulder, grateful for Maryellen’s quick thinking

"We’ll bring Lisa, Rich and April back to the house," Kelly whispered "I wouldn’t miss this for the world"

"Me, neither," Lisa said "There couldn’t be a reat," Mack assured Mary Jo

"No, I’ birth was hard, harder than she’d ever envisioned and the pain…the pain was indescribable

The second EMT came back into the bedroom "I talked to your friend and she’s on her way"

"Thank God" It was difficult for Mary Jo to speak in the middle of a contraction The pain was so intense and she panted, i exercise to help deal with it

Mack held her hand and she squeezed as tight as she could, so tight she was afraid shehim If that was the case, he didn’t let on

"Get a cool damp washcloth," Mack instructed the otherto do, Brandon Hutton shot out of the roo to check you again," Mack told her

"No!" She clung to his hand, gripping it even tighter

"I need you here Beside me"

"Mary Jo, I have to see what position the baby’s in"

"Okay, okay" She closed her eyes Sweat poured off her forehead Now she knehy giving birth was called labor This was the hardest thing she’d ever done Unfortunately there wasn’t ti the books she’d started… She’d thought she had two more weeks If only she hadn’t waited for David, or believed hi classes with her This hat she got for trusting his "What was that?" she cried

"Your water just broke"

"Oh" She’d forgotten about that She had a vague recollection of other woood, isn’t it?" she asked What she hoped was that it ony would coood," he told her

"It’ll be better now, right?"

Mack hesitated

"What’s wrong?" she demanded "Tell me"

"Your labor may intensify"

This had to be a cruel joke "Intensify" She couldn’t ier than they were now "What do you er…"

"Oh, no," she h she’d discovered this was Mack’s first birth, he knew so much more than she did He’d at least studied it and obviously paid attention during class Mack had joked that he was getting on-the-job training--and so was she, but that part didn’t see any now, Mary Jo Just a few more pains and you’ll have your baby"

"Thank God" Mary Jo didn’t kno much more of this she could take

"Rest between contractions," Mack advised

Brandon Hutton returned with a damp washcloth Mack took it froainst her heated skin felt wonderfully refreshing

At the approach of another pain, she screamed, "Mack! Mack!"

Instantly he was at her side, his hand holding hers Her fingers tightened around his

"Count," she begged

"One, two, three…"

The nu to the even cadence of Mack’s voice, knowing that by the time he reached fifty, the contraction would ease